Free topical revision checklist for IB DP English A: Language & Literature SL & HL. Covers key syllabus areas and assessment skills for 2026 exams: Paper 1, Paper 2, IO and HL essay. Rate your confidence (1–5), track review dates, then export as CSV or print.
| Topic | Sub-topic | Resources | Confidence (1–5) | Last reviewed | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Readers, writers and texts: purpose, audience and authorial choices | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Time and space: context, culture, identity and representation | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Intertextuality: connections across texts and bodies of work | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Text types: speeches, articles, ads, infographics, memoir, etc. (as taught) | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Rhetorical devices and persuasive techniques | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Narrative voice, tone, structure and stylistic choices in literary texts | Topic resources | |||
| 1. Syllabus areas (core) | Visual/textual features (multimodal texts) and analysis | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Identify text type and purpose; audience positioning | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Analyse tone, register and voice | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Structure: openings, progression, shifts, framing | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Language features: diction, imagery, syntax, rhetorical devices | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Visual and layout features (where present) | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Select evidence and integrate quotations smoothly | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Comparative response skills (when Paper 1 is comparative) | Topic resources | |||
| 2. Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) skills | Planning and timing; coherent thesis and line of argument | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Thesis-led essays with clear argument structure | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Close analysis: diction, imagery, symbolism, motif, characterisation | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Narrative technique: perspective, reliability, time structure | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Drama/poetry techniques (where relevant): form, metre, staging, etc. | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Comparison across works (themes, context, technique) (SL/HL as applicable) | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Quotation selection and embedding; referencing acts/scenes/chapters | Topic resources | |||
| 3. Paper 2 (essay on studied works) skills | Evaluation: complexity, ambiguity, alternative interpretations | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Choose a precise global issue (not too broad) and define it clearly | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Text selection: one literary work + one non-literary body of work | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Extract selection: evidence-rich and linked to the global issue | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Analyse authorial choices in the extract (technique + effect) | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Link extract to wider work/body of work (contextual and thematic links) | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Structure and signposting; timing and pacing | Topic resources | |||
| 4. Individual Oral (IO) checklist | Practice Q&A: defend interpretations with evidence | Topic resources | |||
| 5. HL-only components (HL) | HL Essay: line of inquiry and refined research question | Topic resources | |||
| 5. HL-only components (HL) | HL Essay: selecting a suitable text/issue and scope control | Topic resources | |||
| 5. HL-only components (HL) | HL Essay: analytical paragraphing and cohesive argument | Topic resources | |||
| 5. HL-only components (HL) | HL Essay: academic register, referencing/citations, formal style | Topic resources | |||
| 5. HL-only components (HL) | HL Essay: editing, coherence, and meeting assessment criteria | Topic resources |
Tip: Pair this checklist with past paper practice and spaced repetition. Always confirm exact assessment components (SL/HL, options) with your school’s IB DP route for the 2026 exam session.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official IB DP English A: Language & Literature syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. It covers both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) topic expectations. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
16–20 weeks of consistent revision is realistic for IB DP — work through one topic per week alongside ongoing past-paper practice and Internal Assessment polish. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 IB DP English A: Language & Literature specification published by your exam board. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.